Echo and Narcissus
by enigma of irony
Summary: How did the echo begin to exist? How was the narcissus created? A myth. Characters: Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Echo, and Narcissus. Takes place in Greece.


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Echo and Narcissus (from Elements of Literature 1st course) told in turn by each of the Gods/Goddesses in the myth.

CAST

Zeus

Hera

Echo

Narcissus

Aphrodite

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Zeus: It all started when one day I had nothing to do, so I decided to go down to Earth and chase some nymphs....

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Hera: Since Zeus goes down to Earth a lot, I decided I would start following him. After a few times of going down to the mountains, it struck me as odd that I always ran into Echo, this annoying little wood nymph. Oh, she talks so much! My ear nearly fell off last time. I'm glad I stopped her...

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Echo: Hera somehow found out that Zeus had told me to stop her from finding him, which meant bad luck for me. She put a curse on me! I was only allowed to repeat what other people say... and I couldn't talk unless someone started talking to me first...

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Hera: I think this was quite a suitable punishment, so I returned to Olympus.

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Echo: For a long time, I sat on the rocks and wept, repeating what the other nymphs and satyrs said. I got used to it after a while, but then a great misfortune befell me...

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Zeus: In comes Narcissus. Narcissus was the son of a god of a river close by and a nymph. He was on these mountains where Echo lived because he was hunting. Lots of nymphs looked at him and then adored him. He would laugh, however, because he loved only himself...

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Narcissus: No one else is good enough for me, except for... ME!

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Echo: Once I laid my eyes upon Narcissus, I knew it was love at first sight. I wanted so badly to tell him how I loved him, but the curse Hera put on me prevented me from doing so...

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Narcissus: One day, when I had gone farther than I normally did, I called out "Is there anybody here?" hoping to be heard by a shepherd or my friends...

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Echo: I was filled with glee, because now I could speak to Narcissus, so I cried "Here!" and he looked around...

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Zeus: He could not find who was shouting to him, so he yelled again "Why are you avoiding me?" and Echo repeated the words with tears in her eyes...

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Echo: Narcissus called again "Come here and let us meet!" and I called out "Let us meet!". My heart was leaping, and I ran out to see Narcissus...

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Narcissus: Nasty! I couldn't let this creature touch me. Nothing is good enough for Narcissus! I cried to the nymph "I would die before I would have you touch me!" and she called back "I would have you touch me!" and she sat down on the rocks...

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Zeus: Narcissus spoke to the nymph once more, saying "Never will I let you kiss me!" and she cried to him "Kiss me! Kiss me!" and he pushed her away, saying one touch of those lips would kill him...

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Aphrodite: This is when I heard Echo and her mournful cries. I thought I should put her out of her misery, because she had truly loved Narcissus...

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Zeus: So she pined away and died, while her voice remained, lingering among the rocks, calling back whenever another called...

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Aphrodite: Since Echo really, truly loved Narcissus, I decided he must be punished. By scoffing Echo, he scoffed love itself. By doing that, he scoffs me. No one shall insult me and get away with it! So I decided that he should love himself and no one else...

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Zeus: And so he did...

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Narcissus: One day, when I was dying of thirst, I came upon a small pond. I sat down to take a drink, when I saw a beautiful water nymph, more beautiful than anything else I've ever seen...

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Aphrodite: What he did not know was that he was merely looking upon his own reflection in the water...

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Narcissus: I stayed there for days, but finally my heart broke...

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Zeus: He faded away and died, and the earth covered his bones...

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Aphrodite: When spring came, a flower poked it's way through the soil: a white flower with a yellow center...

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Hera: The flowers continued to grow, and the breeze brew through them like Echo herself came to kiss them.


End file.
